Saturday, March 22, 2008

SELANGOR CABINET

Reps conduct rehearsal in secretfrom Staronline

By LOONG MENG YEEKLANG: Amidst rife speculation and heavy secrecy, elected representatives from PKR, PAS and DAP made their way to Istana Alam Shah here yesterday afternoon. According to sources, executive council member designates were there to attend a full-dress rehearsal of their swearing-in before Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Monday. Although everybody, including Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, was tight-lipped about the event, it is widely speculated that those seen at the palace were the state executive council member designates. The assemblymen were PKR’s Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Seri Andalas), Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Seri Setia), Yaakob Sapari (Kota Anggerik), Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga) and Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan), DAP’s Teresa Kok (Kinrara), Ean Yong Hian Wah (Seri Kembangan) and Ronnie Liu (Pandamaran), and PAS' Dr Halimah Ali (Selat Klang) and Dr Hassan Ali (Gombak Setia). Although he was not seen at the event, Chempaka assemblyman Iskandar Abdul Samad was said to be the third PAS member to be sworn in. When reporters met Khalid outside the palace at 5.45pm, he declined to name the executive council member designates but said all 10 of them had attended the rehearsal. “We will be announcing the names on Monday because it is important that all the exco designates are sworn in and accepted first before their names are announced,” he said. Sources from the Mentri Besar’s office confirmed that Nik Nazmi has been appointed as Khalid’s political secretary. Missing from the rehearsal was DAP’s Teng Chang Khim who, sources say, would be appointed the first non-Malay Speaker of the state assembly. When contacted, Teng’s only response was: “No comment.” It is understood that the proposal to have Teng as Speaker is part of the package offered to DAP under the revised formula which saw DAP’s representation in the council reduced to three from the original four. In return for the lost seat, DAP was offered the Speaker’s post. The DAP leadership felt that Teng, a lawyer, was the most qualified to be Speaker. Sources also said Kok was expected to be appointed to a newly-created senior executive council member post because DAP would not be getting the Deputy Selangor Mentri Besar position.